The HSRC Research Administration Development - IEARDA, application was prepared by the Human Sciences Research Council (the HSRC), a statutory research institution in South Africa, in response to the opportunities offered by the NIH International Extramural Associates Research Development Award (IEARDA). By participating in the International Extramural Associates Research Development initiative, the HSRC will be able to develop its current research administrative infrastructure over a five-year period. The award will enable the central Business Development (BD) unit in the HSRC to become a strong, effective and enabling central support and coordinating unit for providing guidance and oversight over the administrative management of research grant applications and funded projects in general, and extramural awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in particular. The HSRC prepared its institutional development plan in a way that provides for focused and shared capacity development support of key staff members; that responds to institutional development needs and available resources in an integrated way, and that provides for outreach to potential external collaborators in future grant applications. The evaluation plan is integrated with the delivery plan, and will be overseen by an advisory committee consisting of relevant internal as well as external stakeholders.